This is just a quick post to let everybody know, that I’ve successfully completed my thru-hike of the John Muir Trail in California. What an awesome adventure, it’s probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done! The hike and the scenery have by far exceeded my expectations!

I did not encounter any problems, was fortunate enough to have no injuries at all (not even blisters, chafing or a twisted ankle) and also all the gear held up well, nothing important was broken or lost. I’m really surprised everything went so smoothly!

A short day – The goal is to arrive early at Guitar Lake, mainly because it is the last reasonable camping opportunity before the climb to Mount Whitney. So virtually everybody will be camping there and the latecomers will get the less-then-ideal campsites.

I start at 7:45 and the first thing I see in the morning is a boy in a bathrobe. Am I really awake already?

A windy night is followed by a windy morning, so I pack up quickly and start hiking just as Rob, Peter and John start preparing breakfast.

I have about 650 meters remaining to climb to Forester Pass. There is a lake half way up that seems to be protected from the wind. There I cook my breakfast at one of the few tiny campsites so many hikers have aimed for yesterday.

This was the first night that felt a bit cold. It was 5°C (41°F) inside the tent, but what’s worse is that I had some rather wet nights recently, either rainy or close to lakes. My sleeping bag seems to have soaked up some moisture and hence lost insulation.

Overall I didn’t sleep too well, besides drying the sleeping bag I will have to find a solution on what to use as cushion, my fleece jacket is not really working.

Sunshine and a clear blue sky in the morning! What a good idea to save Mather Pass for today. My campsite, however, is still in the shade, so I pack up and start immediately – delaying breakfast for later. I have about 1000 ft (300m) left to climb until I reach the pass.

When I reach the pass the amazing views to the other side are completely mind-blowing.